HOME

Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to
formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century).

Despite periods of autonomy,
over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the
Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman.

During World War I in the western
portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey instituted a policy of forced resettlement
coupled with other harsh practices that resulted in an estimated 2 million
Armenian deaths.

The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia
in 1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was conquered by
the Soviet Red Army in 1920.

Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long
conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated
region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and
Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after
both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994,
when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only
Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan proper.

The
economies of both sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial
progress toward a peaceful resolution. Turkey closed the common border with
Armenia in 1994 because of the Armenian separatists' control of Nagorno-Karabakh
and surrounding areas, further hampering Armenian economic growth.

However, in
2009 senior Armenian leaders began pursuing rapprochement with Turkey, which
could result in the border reopening.